December 2017 Grocery Challenge

Mrs_Cheshire

Hi I'm going to move over to this thread now as my budget runs until 14th December( Hubby gets paid 4 weekly so it moves around). My budget is £400 for 4 weeks but as there are only 2 1/2 weeks after my budget ends left in December I'm going to set my budget as £650 to cover from the 16th Nov to 31st December.

This includes all food, drinks, nappies, household items such as toiletries and cleaning products for a family of 2 adults and 3 children (ages 8,6 and 2). The 6 year old has free school meals!
I would like to include takeaways and meals/drinks out in it too, but think I'll leave that till the new year as a challenge for 2018!


I'm in the process of winding down our small freezer, it's very old and ice's up very quickly. I'm going to try without it for a few months and see how I get on. I might need to buy a new one in the new year as I do like to buy yellow sticker items and freeze them when I see them.
I shop mainly at Ald! and Tosco for bits I can't get at A. Buy my meat mostly from Crawsh*ws, as I like their 5 packs for £10 deals and the bulk chicken breast.

I'm trying to bulk out meals like bolagnese with lentils or oats to make the meat go further.



Has anyone made pancakes the night before and warmed them for breakfast, my boys usually eat cereal, toast and either a yogurt or fruit for breakfast. Thinking pancakes might make a nice change but don't have time on a school morning to make them from fresh!

Camomile

Thanks Mrs. Cheshire.

To answer all your questions:

Supermarket shopping, used to go after work, now I'm unable to go so online shopping it is. Still adjusting to it. Asda and Tesco are the only ones that deliver in my area.

No chance for reduced food bargains.

Top ups of milk and bread are/will be picked up by my husband en route home from work.

I will probably have to go to the shops once a while to bulk buy meat, bog roll from Farm Foods and my waxing strips from Boots( no beauty/hair treatment here)

We've got a chest freezer and I cook stuff in bulk( ragu,curry, beef stew).

Hardly any ready meals as I try to be also waste concious and don't buy overpackaged stuff.

I'm desperate to get rid of my CC debt ( currently sitting at just over £800 which is my monthly income) and start putting money away as the emergency fund.

The easiest way to go would be budgeting weekly ( easier to break up) and ideally spend no more than £125-150 a week on everything which would put me back on track in the next 3 months.

Currently planning to use up freezer contents and pay about £300 to CC account. I don't want to leave myself short for Christmas but also don't want to incur further debt.

pamsdish

Sticking to £200please, got quite a bit already.

Mrs_Cheshire

Camomile wrote: »

Thanks Mrs. Cheshire.

To answer all your questions:

Supermarket shopping, used to go after work, now I'm unable to go so online shopping it is. Still adjusting to it. Asda and Tesco are the only ones that deliver in my area.

No chance for reduced food bargains.

Top ups of milk and bread are/will be picked up by my husband en route home from work.

I will probably have to go to the shops once a while to bulk buy meat, bog roll from Farm Foods and my waxing strips from Boots( no beauty/hair treatment here)

We've got a chest freezer and I cook stuff in bulk( ragu,curry, beef stew).

Hardly any ready meals as I try to be also waste concious and don't buy overpackaged stuff.

I'm desperate to get rid of my CC debt ( currently sitting at just over £800 which is my monthly income) and start putting money away as the emergency fund.

The easiest way to go would be budgeting weekly ( easier to break up) and ideally spend no more than £125-150 a week on everything which would put me back on track in the next 3 months.

Currently planning to use up freezer contents and pay about £300 to CC account. I don't want to leave myself short for Christmas but also don't want to incur further debt.

Sounds like you've got a good plan of action. I definitely would advise meal planning as it a great way of making sure you only buy what you need and therefore reduce your spend further. Keep posting, would love to know how you get on

trifle-wist

Please may I put myself down for a budget of £150 for 1-31 December? It is myself and OH and should cover all our meals, any toiletries, and festive food/drink.

I'm away the first three days so hoping that if I leave him with enough mostly-prepped food he won't be tempted to splurge in the shops without me to rein him in! Then we are back and forth each weekend to our parents homes as well as over the Christmas break. It always seems to get very expensive when we stay with our families as we love to treat them by cooking for the whole family, so £150 will challenge us to think a bit more this month.

YorksLass

Mrs_Cheshire wrote: »

Has anyone made pancakes the night before and warmed them for breakfast, my boys usually eat cereal, toast and either a yogurt or fruit for breakfast. Thinking pancakes might make a nice change but don't have time on a school morning to make them from fresh!

You might find this thread useful: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5608315

Still one week to go in November's challenge, but I'm in again please for December, 1st to 28th, with the usual £160 for 4 weeks. Me and DH, just groceries - toiletries, cleaning items etc all from a separate budget.

Thanks as usual to those running the thread. :A You've saved me a bundle since joining in May.

elsiepac

Hi everyone

I'm in for December for £180 please from 24 Nov - 22 Dec, nice 4 week month.

I'm planning around £30 a week plus a bulk shop of cleaning supplies, although I haven't had any MOC for 0cad0 where I get my Ecozone stuff from, and it's getting a bit urgent!

thanks as always to zippy, Coxy and lynnejk for running the thread and keeping us all in check!

As usualy I'll look forward to reading everyone's plans!

first shop for this month for me will be tonight.

Mrs_Cheshire

YorksLass wrote: »

You might find this thread useful: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5608315

Still one week to go in November's challenge, but I'm in again please for December, 1st to 28th, with the usual £160 for 4 weeks. Me and DH, just groceries - toiletries, cleaning items etc all from a separate budget.

Thanks as usual to those running the thread. :A You've saved me a bundle since joining in May.

Thank you YorksLass, thread was very helpful. Might test it out tomorrow.

Mrs_Cheshire

16/11 ald! 80.87
20/11 c00p 1.97
21/11 corner shop 2.6
21/11 ald! 4.79
23/11 tesc0 10.08
23/11 tesc0 5.3
24/11 ald1 3.46

Been shopping 3 times since I last posted, local Mr T didn't have everything I wanted so when I was passing the larger one later the same day I stopped to get the other bits. Ald! yesterday to get something quick for tea.

Hopefully by Monday I'll have enough room in the fridge freezer to move the few things in the little freezer, I'm going to defrost for now and see whether I use it much during December before I make a decision about getting rid.

Will pick up a pack of mushrooms today to go with the peppers and courgette in the fridge and make a chicken pasta bake. Tomorrow I'll slow cook a lamb joint and have it with carrots, brussels and spring cabbage, all in the fridge. Need to check my potato stocks, will probably need to buy a bag.

BrassicWoman

Let's try £120 for december as
- I'm away for a week
- looking at xmas stuff in, I will ever need to buy anything with sugar in it again